This invention relates primarily to sign displays in stores or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to quick connect-disconnect attachments for securing displays of this type to a ceiling.
The present invention is especially suited for use in a position suspended from the base of an overhead horizontally extending structure, such as an inverted T-shaped beam of a suspended ceiling, a pipe or an I-Beam. It should, however, be appreciated that the subject invention is capable of broader applications and could be employed with a wide variety of toggling clips useful in numerous environments.
It is a common practice in constructing buildings which are designed primarily for office or retail environments to employ suspended ceilings to shield pipes, conduits, duct work, and other mechanical building services which are normally run exposed beneath the structural ceiling slab of such buildings. Inasmuch as it is quite often necessary to reach the mechanical building systems for maintenance, repair, or alterations after the building is in use, most types of suspended ceilings presently being utilized employ removable ceiling panels so that the mechanical services which are shielded by the suspended ceiling construction can be easily accessed. Such presently available ceiling systems usually include a gridwork to support the panels. The gridwork usually comprises elongate light metal T-bars arranged in rows which are spaced approximately two feet apart. The T-bars are usually suspended from the structural ceiling by means of wire or other fasteners and are hung with the T-head positioned downwardly to act as a flange to receive and retain the ceiling panels therein. The panels are removably suspended between adjacent rows of T-bars and simply rest on the flanged T-heads in a readily installable and removable manner, leaving the T-heads of the elongate grids exposed at the junctions between the adjacent ceiling panels.
It has now become a common practice to mount placards or signs such as advertising displays in stores by supporting them directly on the T-bars of the ceiling grid by a fastening means. However, the known fastening means were usually of a semi-permanent nature such that, e.g., clips for securing the advertising banners would be left mounted to the ceiling grid T-bars permanently by adhesive or screws. The known clips of this type would cause damage to the ceiling grid. Therefore, when the clips were removed, the ceiling grid structure had to be patched or restored to avoid unsightliness.
Even those conventional clips or hangers which are not permanently secured to the ceiling grid have disadvantages. More particularly, the known clips of this type have had a complex construction which renders them expensive to manufacture and difficult to install, or they utilize portions of the clip member which must be bent to secure them in place. In addition, the known clips and hangers have not always provided a reliable connection to the support grid.
Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved hinged ceiling clip construction which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.